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FRESHWATER PRAWNS
Macrobrachium rosenbergii ANDAQUAPONICS SYSTEMS: AN
EXPERIENCE OF ONE FARM
Josh Reitsma – Cape Cod Cooperative ExtensionEd Osmun – E&T
Farms
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E&T Farms
• Aquaponics farm in West Barnstable, MA
– Production of fish
– Production of greens
• Outdoor farm production – Honey production and
pollination services
– Blueberry production
• Small scale agriculture of other crops
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Current Aquaponics Systems
• Aquaculture systems
– 6 - 6000 gallon rectangular
raceways
– Drum filters
– Bio-wheel nitrification
– Upwelling pumps
– Active aeration
– Mainly koi for seasonal pond
stocking market
• Plant production
– Greenhouse section
– Temperature/humidity
controls
– Receive fish culture water
through air lift pumps
– Hydroponic culture trays
– Mainly salad and microgreens
production for high end
restaurants locally
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Why prawns?
• Small scale tilapia market stinks
• Very good market interest and potential value
• Grow in freshwater (after larval phase)
•
Seed/post larvae available from hatcheries• Not a problem from
state regulatory
perspective
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Project
• E&T farms received a mini-grant to explore
freshwater prawn production from the SouthEastern Massachusetts
Aquaculture Center
(SEMAC) – funded though MA DAR
•
Obtained permits to get prawn post larvae• Attempt grow out in
existing fish production
tank of an aquaponics system
•
Evaluate local market acceptance and value
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Post-larvae/Juveniles
• Juveniles received from hatchery
– 5000, received June 20, 2011
– At size of ~10mm
• Stocked in a nursery tank for acclimation andobservation on
initial arrival
–
Fed twice daily – teaspoon to 3 tablespoons – Held in
nursery system for 26 days
– No added surface area in nursery tank
– About doubled in size when transferred to big
tank
system for growout (1+”)
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Grow Out System
Empty Tank
Tank Stocked
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Grow Out
• Added surface area for
prawns to hold on
• Difficult to observe and feed
• Added pipes for molting
refuge
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Diet/Feeding
• Fed an available Aquamax
starter diet to start
– Switched to Zeigler trout feed
halfway through – smaller
pellet• Fed 2 times daily throughout
grow out
• Shell meal was added toensure calcium carbonate
content for shell development
- chitin
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Water Quality• No problems noticed – prawns or plants
• Temperature: 75-83 F, 24-28C
• pH kept at 7 initially, gradually increased to
7.5 – No effect on plants – was a worry before trying
prawns
– Used sodium bicarbonate and then calcium
carbonateshell material to boost alkalinity and hold pH up
• Alkalinity raised with sodium bicarbonate• Nutrient load
provided similar plant production that of
fish
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Growth• After 5 months (~1 nursery, 4 grow out)
– size range 0.25-1.1 oz. (7-31 g)
• Final size (after roughly a full year)
– Total length 103.4 mm (ranging 85-139 mm)
– Mean weight was 29.42 g (14 - 90)
– Biggest prawns close to 100g
• Survival – 140 of 5000 – 2.8%
• Lots of variation within stock
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Challenges• Low survival!!! – assumed losses to cannibalism
•Variation in size/growth
• Territorial behavior was seen
• Grow out time a bit longer than expected
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Flavor and Marketability
• Very good flavor!
• Market was interested
– Few available sold quickly
• $5-9 per lb. whole fresh weight wholesale• Local interest
from:
– Individuals
–
Restaurants• No local shrimp available
– As of yet!!!
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Future Directions
• Very poor survival was disappointing
• Considering ways to improve this
•
Also considering other species of shrimp – White
shrimp (L. vannemei ) capable of growing in
lower salinities
• Any suggestions or success/failure stories for a
shrimp/prawn aquaponics system?
– open to ideas or hearing other experiences…
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Thank You
Ed Osmun
E&T Farms
85 Lombard AveWest Barnstable, MA 02668
[email protected]
508-362-8370
Josh Reitsma
Cape Cod Cooperative Extension
Woods Hole Sea GrantPO Box 367
Barnstable, MA 02630
[email protected]
508-375-6950
Contact Information:
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]
